Just two golf outings by President Obama cost taxpayers $1,836,555 in travel expenses alone during a costly series of work and fun travel in March and April, according to new documents released by Judicial Watch.
Documents provided under the Freedom of Information Act to Judicial Watch showed that the cost per hole was $20,406. During two trips to California and Florida, the president played five rounds of golf.
In February, he traveled to Palm Springs, California, for an all-men President’s Day break. The flight alone cost $1,031,685. Judicial watch is still awaiting a report on security costs.
In March, Obama traveled to Palm City, Florida, for a golf weekend. That flight cost was $804,870.30 based on Air Force One expenses provided by the Air Force.
Judicial Watch also received FOIA documents on fundraising trips in those months with trip costs totalling $2.59 million.
“Taxpayers should be outraged that Barack Obama’s wastes $4.4 million of their precious tax dollars on golf vacations and political fundraising,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “And to make matters worse, the Secret Service has simply refused to respond to our requests for documents about the security costs of these controversial trips. The Obama travel scandal is about abuse of office, abuse of the taxpayer, and contempt for the rule of law.”
Details from Judicial Watch:
Using the Air Force’s official cost estimate of $206,337 per hour, the newly released records obtained by Judicial Watch show:
— Obama’s February 14, 2015, golf outing to Palm Springs required a five-hour flight, costing taxpayers a total of $1,031,685.
— Transportation for Obama’s February 19 day trip to Chicago cost taxpayers $619,011.00.
— Transportation for Obama’s March 2015 fundraising trip to Los Angeles cost taxpayers $1,980,835.20.
— Obama’s March 28, 2015, golf outing to Palm City required a 3.9-hour flight, costing taxpayers $804,870.30.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
